Smile
by PetPetAngel
Summary: Rab x Johnny. For Helga22 and Yaoi Rox Me Sox. Rab is worried one night when Johnny doesn't come back. When he a few others go searching, they are horrified at what they find. Rab now knows, he can never, ever, lose Johnny again.


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PetPetAngel: Another one? Nyah. I think I'm becoming obsessed (more so than before, of course.)

Trespasser: I think you're being evil. Yes, and sadistic.

PetPetAngel: And you're not that way _all_ the time?

Trespasser: True, this is true.

PetPetAngel: Exactly.

Trespasser: Hey, what's wrong with me being a sadist?

PetPetAngel: Nothing, I'm just stating the fact.

Trespasser: If you really meant that, you wouldn't have bothered saying that.

PetPetAngel: That's not true!

Trespasser and PetPetAngel: (start arguing)

Rab: Start reading the Fic before they begin hurting something. Or rather, someone.

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Smile

Written by:

PetPetAngel

Fic Type: One-Shot Missing Scene Fic

Dedication: Helga22 and Yaoi Rox me Sox

Pairing: Johnny x Rab

Summary: After sending Johnny to take care of some business with the subscribers of the _Boston Observer_, Rab is worried when he does not return for an extended amount of time. When Uncle Lorne informs them with some disconcerting information, Rab's heart is pounding. When Rab finds Johnny, a few things are revealed.

'_How can he smile at a time like this?'_

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Warnings: Yaoi/Slash/Shounen-ai...

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Disclaimer: _Johnny Tremain_ is not mine but indeed it would be Esther Forbes', though I could think of a lot of other people that I rather let them have it. (Mainly the two people I've been writing these Fics for.) (AKA Rikusgurl/Helga22 and Yaoi Rox Me Sox.) But hey, that's just me.

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Key

"Blah" - Talking

_Blah_ - Flashback or Emphasis

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Rab's POV

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I paced the room nervously and stared at my feet, bothered and uncomfortable. No, I told myself, I'm only bothered and uncomfortable because I'm worried. "Sit down, Rab," Doctor Warren told me. But I shook my head and kept on pacing, now cracking my knuckles. "Rab, calm down," Doctor Warren tried again. "He's probably just fine, and you're probably overreacting."

"It's the 'probably' that's what worrying me, Doctor Warren. He was supposed to be here an _hour_ ago, but no sign of him," I told him, not stopping in my pacing. I was surprised by my own behavior, because normally, I _wouldn't_ be this worried. I furrowed my eyebrows. Finally, Doctor Warren took my shoulders and led me to a seat.

My fingers began tapping idly on the table.

"Why on earth are you so worried, Rab? This is not like you. Johnny is just _fine._ He's a streetwise boy, he wouldn't do anything stupid. After that hand of his, he has a right to be streetwise, seeing some of the worse of people so young! He is just fine."

"I don't doubt in his abilities, I... I just have a bad feeling, Doctor Warren. It's... I don't know, even _I_ don't know why I'm so worried. Maybe it's because it's Johnny, we're talking about here. He could get into all sorts of trouble without even realizing it."

"Well of course," Mr. Adams began. "He's such a joy to us all. Reminds us that we can't drown in spite of all our efforts. We keep him to the ground, and, rather, I like to think that he keeps us all from sinking." I smiled to myself, liking his outlook, but then I frowned.

"You're a lost cause, Rab. A lost cause."

"Thank you," I said. "I'm still worried." Several sighs were heard.

"You're worried like a husband would for his wife, Rab. Like a husband for his _wife,_" Mr. Adams said. I looked down and blushed heavily, as Mr. Adams began laughing hard. I was stuck between glaring and still trying to hide my blush. Uncle Lorne suddenly burst through the door, causing most of the occupants to jump.

"Rab, get your overcoat! Doctor Warren, you too, oh and please, quickly! We must hurry if we can help it!"

"What is it," I asked as we walked down the ladder.

"Oh, it be Johnny. A young boy just came by and said, he said he'd seen him in an alleyway, unconscious. There was a lot of blood, or so the boy said, so I figured that you should come too, Doctor." I did not get my jacket, but waited impatiently for Doctor Warren to get his. We rushed out the door, and half-walked-half-ran to town.

"It's best we split up," Doctor Warren said, panting. "Your Uncle and I will take the darker part of town, you check the other side. You know how to whistle with your fingers?" I nodded. "Whistle twice when you've found him and again so that we can meet up here," he ordered. I nodded and ran off.

At first, I merely went searching, looking down any alleyway I could find, but when there was not sign of him, I began to ask other people. "Excuse me," I asked a woman, tapping her on the shoulder, "Have you seen a boy that's about up to my mid-chest/shoulder, blond hair, blue-eyed?" The woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, in fact, I think I have, down that lane and in the alleyway first to your right," she said.

"How was his condition," I asked hurriedly, shifting from foot to foot.

"Oh, horrible! Horrible! Blood all over! Soaked through the boy's clothes, dried in his hair, bruised so bad I though he looked repulsive! Clothes torn so bad they're more so rags, and they barely seem to fit! He looks rather like alley rat! Oh poor, poor boy!" I ran, as fast as I could to where the woman told me where Johnny was, and searched the alleyway frantically.

I spotted him.

The woman's description was quite accurate. Johnny was lying in a pool of his own blood, his clothes were torn, his arm bent at abnormal angle. His hair was indeed soaked with blood, and cuts on his cheek and upper neck caught my attention. His eye was black and blue, and I saw many other cuts through his clothing. I quickly whistled three times and carefully gathered Johnny into my arms.

"Rab...?" Johnny croaked, throat dry.

"Shhh Johnny, don't talk."

"How..." He coughed violently, and a small stream of blood trickled down his chin, and I wiped it away. It came back, telling me just serious this really was. "How did you f-find me?"

"A boy told us. Questions later, not now. But, Johnny, how did the boy know _us?_"

"I told him to look for 'my great friend. They call him 'the printer's boy, Rab'."

"Enough said, come on." I debated whether to run to get him help, or to walk as to not injure him further. I decided on walking quickly, as I clutched Johnny to me desperately. "Don't you dare die, Johnny, don't you even dare," I whispered. "You're one of the only people who understand me in this world. You know me better than even my own family, and I trust you more so than that. Don't die Johnny, please." I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Doctor Warren and Uncle Lorne came into sight.

I'd been faster than them. We were closer to the house than when we started.

"Dear Lord," Uncle Lorne said, looking at Johnny over my shoulder. "What happened to him?"

"I... I don't know..."I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Come on," Doctor Warren said. "There's not a second we can afford to lose."

"Right," I said, nodding.

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What happened in the next few hours was such a blur to me I don't think I could recall it if I wanted to. Doctor Warren is still tending to Johnny, and I'm even more worried than when this whole ordeal began. "Rab?" Mr. Adams asked me. "Is everything alright?" I felt like giving him an incredulous look, but I thought better of it. It's not going to make things any better.

"No."

"Worried?"

"However could you tell?"

He smiled. _Smiled._

How can he smile? How can he smile when Johnny's in there, probably quivering in pain and agony? How can he smile at a time like this? When Johnny's how he is and who he is and in what condition he is? How? How can he dare?

"You care about him," Mr. Adams stated.

I nodded. Doctor Warren walked out, eyes troubled as I sprang to my feet, eyes almost in a wild like fashion at my need to see him. Doctor Warren looked at me. And looked at me. His eyes were sad. I made a move to say something but he beat me to it. "It's worse than I thought," he started, eyes grim. "His wounds are bandaged. I don't know how much more we can do but wait. Rab," he addressed me.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry."

I nodded again, feeling empty.

"Can I see him?"

A nod.

"Thank you."

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For two days, every day, and every night, I watched as Johnny grew weaker and weaker, paler and paler. He hadn't awoken yet. His wounds were extensive, they were healing, but still bleeding at an immeasurable rate. Every day, I sat near him and tended to his wounds. Every night, I sat by his bed and held his hand, and prayed for him.

Feared for him.

I was more afraid every time I went in that room, that he was gone.

My fears were magnified when I had overheard a conversation between Uncle Lorne and Doctor Warren.

_Begin Flashback_

_"Are you sure you know what you're doing Warren?" _

_"I've been in this practice for many years," he had replied._

_"That's not what I asked. Will Johnny be alright?" _

_"I don't know." _

_"If you lose Johnny to the other world, Rab will fall apart." _

_"What do you mean?" Mr. Adams, also in the room, had asked. _

_"Rab needs Johnny. To lose Johnny would lose the one thing that kept him on the ground." _

_"You're kidding." _

_"No," Uncle Lorne said, shaking his head. He continued. "Like I said, Rab **needs** Johnny, like a life line. They balance each other out, they're bonded. To have one lose the other is like to lose half of your soul."_

_"He needs him that bad?" _

_"He needs and **wants **him that bad." _

_End Flashback_

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Later at night, after Doctor Warren had check on Johnny, saying that he was beginning to show minor signs of a recovery, I went to _our_ room, tiptoeing into the room, as not to disturb Uncle Lorne who was also there. But to no avail, a creaking floorboard woke him up. He looked at me from his spot on the chair he had fallen asleep on, and smiled at me. I offered him an almost indecisive nod in response. He got up, and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, myself staring at it as though if it were a foreign object I did not know of.

"He'll be fine Rab. Doctor Warren says he may wake up soon."

I nodded, a spark of hope alight in my eyes.

There's a chance.

It's not too late.

There's still time.

"Alright."

"I'll leave you alone with him."

Thank you.

I leaned before his bed, right in front of him, kneeling. Please god, don't let me lose him. I can't lose him. He means too much. I just can't lose him. "I can't lose you Johnny. Please, don't leave me like my parents did, don't leave me alone again with people who don't understand. I don't care if they call you naive, you're the only one who gets me, the only one who can save me...

"From myself."

"Rab...? Please Rab... Don't worry."

That was Johnny's voice.

My head snapped up, eyes wide as they locked with his.

"Johnny!"

He smiled softly, still lying down. How can he smile? I slowly got up from my kneeling position, and walked over to his bed, staring at him with disbelieving eyes. When I was standing up, a reached out a hand and stroked his hair and face fondly, as he continued to smile up at me. "I'm fine now Rab, I won't let myself die knowing what happened to you when I wasn't there. I'll never leave you, Rab. Never."

And I couldn't help myself.

I leaned forward and hugged him gently, weary of his wounds. I buried my nose into his hair and his breath tickled the crook of my neck. "Don't do that to me, Johnny. I was so afraid that you were going to- to die." I felt a tear slip down my cheek, as a few more followed. Apparently, Johnny felt them too, because he looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Rab... You're... You're crying."

I nodded but wiped my eyes, afraid that he was disappointed with me, ashamed of me.

He caught my hands mid-swipe and entangled his fingers with mine.

"It's alright to cry, Rab. I don't mind if you do."

His arms encircled me and I returned the embrace, smiling through my tears.

I pulled back and stared at his lying form on the bed, and smiled wider. I knew my eyes were bright and shining with my happiness. He lifted his head, blushing heavily as he kissed me with such love and tenderness I thought that my heart was going to shatter and my head ache with all the emotion and passion behind it all. As we pulled away I pulled him down on the bed. My arms remained gentle as not to harm him.

He curled up into my chest, grasping my shirt, smiling, as I stroked his hair fondly.

After awhile, he fell asleep.

And just as I was about to fall asleep myself, I saw Uncle Lorne smile from a crack by the door.

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PetPetAngel: Eight pages. Phew! I really wonder how I managed that. I really do.

Trespasser: You should go to bed, it's eleven 'o' clock.

PetPetAngel: Sure. **_I don't like the ending, let me know if you do._**

Ja Ne!

Sincerely,

PetPetAngel

P.S. It's now nine pages.


End file.
